Banana maple cakes with cream cheese icing and poached rhubarb

ingredients

• Poached rhubarb

  • 4 rhubarb stalks, washed and cut into 3cm chunks
  • 3 tablespoon honey
  • 1/4 cup water

• Banana maple cakes

  • 130 gram unsalted butter, melted
  • 150 gram good-quality maple syrup
  • 2 large organic eggs
  • 4 large ripe fair-trade bananas, mashed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup sultanas, currants or chopped dates
  • 100 gram organic buckwheat flour
  • 80 gram ground almonds
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 pinch sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • toasted coconut flakes, to garnish
  • edible flowers, to garnish

• Cream cheese icing

  • 250 gram cream cheese
  • juice of 1/2 lime
  • 3 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
  • dash vanilla extract

method

• Banana maple cakes with cream cheese icing and poached rhubarb

  • 1

    Preheat oven to 180°C fanbake. Grease a 12-hole muffin tray very well (or use cupcake papers if desired).

  • 2

    In a pan over medium heat, cook the rhubarb in the honey and water for 5-7 minutes or until soft and the syrup has thickened slightly. Take off the heat and allow to cool.

  • 3

    In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together melted butter and maple syrup. Beat in eggs, bananas and vanilla, followed by sultanas.

  • 4

    Sift together all dry ingredients in a bowl and gradually add these to the wet ingredients. Be careful not to over-mix.

  • 5

    Pour batter into the muffin holes to about three-quarters full. Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden and springy to the touch and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

  • 6

    Allow the cakes to cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.

  • 7

    Meanwhile, make the icing. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth, and gradually add the other ingredients until it all comes together.

  • 8

    Once cakes are completely cool, pipe a generous layer of icing on top. Top with poached rhubarb, some rhubarb syrup, and garnish with toasted coconut flakes and flowers, if desired.